I had forgotten before today one of my favorite reasons for loving Paul and his work. Paul was not your average Joe. By birth, the course for his life had been set for him. Being of a respectable heritage, Paul lived up to everything that was expected of him. "In regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for seal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless." Paul is describing all the things that men of the time would have desired for themselves and he had them all. As Paul looks back on his life, he sees that he had everything and now realizes it was worth nothing. Beyond that, he considers all of that time as a loss in his life.
There are many kingdoms I attempt to build for myself. I would love a house of my own and a truck in the driveway. I would love a large minsitry with a youth group of hundreds. But if my ambitions are anything other than being one with Christ, they are for loss. No matter the good I attempt, my number one priority has to be Christ.
I pray to have the same passion as Paul did at the end of the chapter. He says he wants to follow him to the death, even a death on a cross, being crucified for his beliefs. I pray I wake up everyday with a goal of being with Christ in eternity and telling as many people this truth along the way.
Hope your enjoying this as much as I am. Tomorrow is Philippians 4.
God Bless,
Nick
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First I want to appologize for getting behind in posting. Keeping up with the blog feels almost like a full-time job. I also feel it's like a small group where we get to discuss a paticular chapter of the bible, only for a week :)
ReplyDeleteNick I am confused by your statement "As Paul looks back on his life, he sees that he had everything and now realizes it was worth nothing. Beyond that, he considers all of that time as a loss in his life." I did not take it that way.
I found a Hebrew names Version at www.blueletterbibile.org and it shows Phl 3:13-14 "Brothers, I don't regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal for the pirze of the high calling of god in Messiah Yeshua." I take this to mean that he does not worry about yesterday, because it already happened and he can't change it. He is always thing living today with the goal of Heaven the reason for his actions.
I take this third part of the letter, or third letter, to be a very basic statement. You can't change yesterday, tomorrow never gets here. You have to have the end in mind, the goal of Heaven, and live today. You should use me as an example and be the example for others. He is also warning the Philippians about those who do not believe and are "of the world" and just "in the world."
While just coming back to God I feel that my actions right now are all that I have. My words are empty and have no meaning because in the past I have never really "walked the walk." My thought is if I can follow those who lead the Church, and those around me who have greater knowledge, then eventually I can use my words as well and they will have greater meaning.
I could be wrong; however, in my past I have had Jesus and church shoved down my throat. It was one of many reasons I walked away from the cross, and something that I never want to do to someone else.
I pray for the strength of Paul in my walk. I pray for my family and my church family that we all may have this strength.
God Bless!!!